Straw-rack for threshing-machines.



w. A. McGRAW.

STRAW RACK FOR THRE'SHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN.31.1916.

1,200,002. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

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WALTER A. MOGRAW, OF lVIOUN T PLEASANT, TEXAS.

STRAW-RACK FOR THRESHINCir-MACHINES.' I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed January 31, 1916. Serial No. 75,331.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, WALTER A. MCGRAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Titus and State of Texas,have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Straw-Racks forThreshing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in straw racks forthreshing machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a rack having a transverselycorrugated bottom or one having its bottom formed of substantiallyA-shaped sections, each successive section being higher than itspredecessor; and the upwardly inclined surfaces having perforations oropenings and means for retarding the progress of the straw over the rackwhereby the grain is caused to drop through the openings, while thedownwardly inclined surfaces have openings permitting the passage of thegrain.

Another object is to provide in combination with the openings andretarding means, a plurality of transverse serrated or notched barswhichactto spread the straw so that the chaff will be more readilyremoved and the grain be given full opportunity to fall through theopenings, said bars also acting to retain the grain on inclinedsurfaces:-

A further object is to provide a rack which will separate the grain,straw and chaff to the fullest extent, whereby very little if any of thegrain will be lost over the end of the rack and the straw will be thinlyspread over the bottom of the rack and not congested.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rack of thecharacter described that will be strong, durable, efficient and simpleand comparatively inexpensive to construct, also one in which theseveral parts will not be likely to get out of working order.

Vith the above and other objects in View, the invention has relation tocertain novel features of construction and operation, an example ofwhich is described in the following specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved rack, Fig. 2 is a partialplan view, and Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the sectionsof the bottom.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the frame of the rackwhich maybe of the usual construction and attached to the usual oscillatingmeans. The invention resides pr marily in thebottom of the rack which isformed of sheet metal and composed of a plurality of substantiallyA-shaped sections 2 extending transversely thereof, each successivesection having its ridge at a higher elevation than its predecessor. Thesections each have an upwardly inclined surface or side 3 and adownwardly inclined surface or side 4. At the discharge end of the rackan upwardly inclined tail section 5 extends from the last section 2.

The rack is reciprocated or oscillated in the usual manner whereby thestraw is stepped up the sides 3 and down the sides A to the section 5from which it is delivered. During this transit all of the grain andchaff are removed. In the racks now commonly in use much grain islost atthe discharge end of the rack'and the rack herein set forth will reducethis loss to a minimum.

On the sides 3 of the section tongues or lugs 6 are provided as bystriking up the same fromthe metal of the bottom. These tongues arepreferablyarranged in rows transversely of the sections so that theirfaces are at right angles tothe line of travel of the straw. Openings 7are provided when the tongues are struck up, but these openings might beotherwise formed. Serrated or notched bars 8 are fastened transverselyon the sides 3 and 4 in spaced order and the tongues and openings aredisposed between these bars. In the sides 4 openings 9 similar to theopenings 7 are disposed between the bars; however the tongues 10 fromthese openings are bent downward. The section 5 also has the bars 8,openings 7 and tongues 6.

The bars 8 owing to their serrated construction cause the straw tospread over the entire surface of the rack and prevent congestion eithertransversely or longitudinally of the rack. By thus spreading orthinning the straw the chaff is more readily blown out and the grain isgiven a better opportunity to separate itself from the straw. As thestraw is stepped up the sides 3 the tongues 6 act to retard its progressso that the grain is freed therefrom and may fall through the openings 7to the riddle (not shown) below. -It is apparent that this retarding ofthe straw together with the oscillation of the rack will veryeffectually separate the grain which will be caught by the bars 8 andprevented from rolling down the sides of the sections.

The straw is carried over the ridges of the sections and passes down thesides 4 of the same, the grain being caught by the bars and droppingthrough the openings 9. There being no tongues in the path of the strawon the sides 4 the straw is not retarded, but is retained in its spreadcondition by the bars 8 so that grain may be freed. When the strawreaches the section 5 very little if any grain will remain, however thissection is made sufliciently long and provided with enough bars 8 andtongues 6 to make for a very eflicient removal of the last grains whichare conveyed back by the usual pan 11.

It is pointed out that the tongues 6 will have a tendency to hold thegrain and chafi back as the straw progresses and that considerable ofthe chaff will pass through the openings 7 and 9 with the grain. It isalso evident that the capacity of the rack is increased and theseparation more quickly performed. r

The invention is presented as including all such modifications andchanges as properly come within the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim, is:

1. A straw rack for threshing machines comprising a transverselycorrugated bottom the corrugations of which are provided with openingson both sides for the passage of grain, the upwardly inclined sides ofthe corrugations having projections for retarding the progress of thestraw thereover, and transverse serrated bars disposed on the bottomsubstantially parallel with the ridges of the corrugations.

2. A straw rack for threshing machines comprising a sheet metal bottomtrans versely corrugated whereby upwardly and downwardly inclined sidesare provided, tongues struck up from the upwardly inclined sidesadjacent grain openings, openings in the downwardly inclined sides, saidbottom having a comparatively long tail section also provided with thetongues and openings, and serrated bars disposed in spaced ordertransversely of the bottom on the inclined sides and also on the tailsection.

3. A straw rack for threshing machines which includes a transverselycorrugated bottom the corrugations of which are provided with openingsfor'the passage of grain therethrough, means for retarding the progressof the straw along the rack, and straw spreading elements disposed onthe upwardly inclined sides of the corrugations of the bottomlongitudinally of said corrugations and transversely of the bottom, theopenings of the bottom being located between the straw spreadingelements whereby the grain caught between the elements is delivered tothe openings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WALTERA. McGRAW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

